The expression “rupture” is to be understood to mean an explosive disintegration of a compressor wheel and/or turbine wheel on account of excessive loading. Under sufficiently high loading, such a rupture may even occur in turbine and compressor wheels which have been produced to a correct specification, that is to say which do not have any production defects.
One possible cause of a rupture of said type is an excessively high rotational speed of the turbocharger, which may for example occur if the turbocharger and/or the motor vehicle in which the turbocharger is installed have/has been manipulated.
Such loading is generally a one-off loading which leads to the rupture of the wheel.
Of more importance in practice, however, are loadings which are within the normally permitted limits but which may add up on account of a high number of cyclic repetitions, for example constant changes in rotational speed.